Do You Need to Remove Old Plaster to Put Up New Drywall?

Cover Plaster

• In most cases, you don't have to remove the old plaster if you don't want to. Most plaster walls include wood trims around windows and doors, and you or your contractor can cover the plaster by butting sheetrock panels against the wood trim. The thicker your sheetrock, the less trim relief it will have. You should use sheetrock that is no more than 1/4 inch thick, according to Plaster Wall Ceilings Solutions.

Sculpted Trim

• If the trim is thin or sculpted rather than a traditional wood trim, you might not be able to butt sheetrock panels against it. In this case, the process of installing a new drywall is more complicated. You or your contractor must remove the trim and refinish your doorways so that they are even with the new drywall. Once the drywall is installed, you must reattach the sculpted trim.

Alternative

• Removing the plaster is an alternative to removing the trim and refinishing your doorways. If you remove the plaster, you don't have to do anything to your doorways or to the trim before putting up drywall. Instead, you can just strip the wall of plaster, and put the drywall up where the plaster used to be. The drywall will look about the same as the plaster, thus freeing you from the need to do anything to the trim or the doorways.

Consideration

• Removing plaster can be hazardous to your health. Old plaster might contain asbestos, which is harmful to your lungs if breathed in. Even if the plaster is asbestos-free, removing it is a dusty process, which can trigger asthma or allergies. Hire a contractor to remove your plaster if you have any health concerns or don't know whether the plaster contains asbestos. Contractors are trained to minimize safety risks when removing plaster.